California High-Speed Rail CEO Choudri goes on leave after Folsom arrest
High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri went on leave Tuesday, one day after it was reported that police arrested him and his fiancée earlier this month.
Rail authorities confirmed Monday that they were investigating Choudri after Folsom police arrested him and Lyudmyla Starostyuk after someone called 911 and accused Starostyuk of pulling Choudri’s daughter’s hair and locking her out of their home.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office declined to press charges after police arrested Choudri and Starostyuk on suspicion of misdemeanor battery of a spouse.
Allen Sawyer, Choudri and Starostyuk’s attorney, said neither of them was asked to appear in court and that authorities considered the matter “over.”
“While my client appreciates that this legal matter has been thoroughly evaluated, his family needs time to privately process and heal. Ian has requested a few days off from the board to attend to this matter,” Sawyer said. “He remains committed to his work, and this short absence will also give the board space to independently review the conclusions of the legal process.”
Choudri voluntarily agreed to go on leave from the rail authority as of Tuesday, while the rail authority’s parent agency, the California State Transportation Agency, investigates, according to a memo obtained by The Sacramento Bee.
“During this temporary period, Chief of Staff Mark Tollefson will assume responsibility for day-to-day decision-making of the Authority,” High-Speed Rail Authority board chair Tom Richards wrote to rail staffers.
“Our work continues without interruption, and our priorities remain unchanged. Thank you for your continued professionalism, focus, and dedication to delivering this important project for the people California.”
A bullet train agency spokesperson said Choudri was unaware of “any evidence of wrongdoing,” and that his leave was of his own volition.
“We are taking this matter seriously, consistent with our longstanding commitment to public responsibility, transparency, and accountability,” the authority said in an email. “The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s work continues without interruption, and our priorities remain unchanged.”
Consulting ties to rail authority
Starostyuk recently joined KPMG, a financial services firm that is advising the High-Speed Rail Authority, as an advisory manager, according to her LinkedIn. She previously served as a business professor at a Denver university.
According to a contracts and expenditures report from last month, KPMG’s $24 million contract with the bullet train is for financial advisory services.
“KPMG has confirmed to the California High-Speed Rail Authority that Ms. Starostyuk has not performed work under the KPMG/Authority contract and that there are no plans for her to do so in the future,” an agency spokesperson said in an email on Thursday.
The spokesperson said the authority complies with the Political Reform Act and other state laws, and has an internal organizational policy to prevent conflicts of interest.
According to a since-deleted academic page, Starostyuk’s expertise is in business analytics and computer information systems.
“Ms. Starostyuk’s position is not affiliated with the high-speed rail authority or any other rail authority in any capacity. Her role at her job is unrelated and concerns a completely different sector of business,” said Sawyer, the lawyer representing the couple.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 7:24 PM with the headline "California High-Speed Rail CEO Choudri goes on leave after Folsom arrest."
